September Dear Friends

Transcription

1 September 2018 Dear Friends I am happily getting to know you and I thought it would be lovely to invite you to tea with me at UUCOD. I hope that you will consider my invitation to come and spend some informal time with your new minister. Tea time is 5 6 pm Wednesday, September 12 th and 11:30 12:30, September 16 th after the service. It seems to me ministry is all about our making real connections. The longer I live, the more I wonder if we are invited to that place of connection with every encounter. Connecting with each other in small ways and important ways, connecting ourselves to what and who matter most to us in our everyday lives, connecting to that ineffable quality which is beyond our ability to name or define but of which we are a part. That spirit of life. Maybe what I am saying is that the holy, that essential spirit of life, lives where we meet one another as whole human beings. Rumi wrote: Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn't make any sense. There are tasks that can help us make room for those humane encounters, in an ever more mechanized world. In a way, that is what sets our congregational work apart. Whether watching over UUCOD finances or cleaning the kitchen, sending out the newsletter or setting up the coffee, leading Sunday Services or locking the doors after everyone leaves, we are invited to infuse everything we do, every one we meet and touch in a day, with a quality of ministry. This is how we sustain a space for sanctuary and solace, restoration and resolve, companionship and celebration. I am so glad to be sharing this ministry with you. Blessings all around, no exceptions! Rev. Barbara

2 Sunday Services 10:00 AM Located at Via Vail, Rancho Mirage Send Mail to: PO Box 2853 Rancho Mirage, CA website: UUCOD.org Rev. Barbara Fast, Developmental Minister Rev. Dr. Kenneth Torquil MacLean, President 1st V. Pres 2nd V. Pres Secretary Treasurer At-Large At-Large Minister Emeritus Board of Directors Sarah Gonzales Vikki Porter Jane Zaun Rod Belshee Jerry L Hommedieu Nancy Boyce Susan Hannon Membership Information Randy Steele randy_steele@yahoo.com The October Monthly Deadline Is September 26 Published Monthly by The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert Upcoming Services September 2 The Good Samaritan A Nicaraguan group of 16 boys and young men (8-26 years old) will lead our service on the theme of the Helping Your Neighbor. The Nicavangelists will share a program of acrobatics, dance, song and stories as they re-tell the story of the Good Samaritan through the lens of the harsh streets of Managua. They will talk about the current violent political situation in Nicaragua, sharing personal stories of their and their families struggles. They proclaim a message of hope where our individual actions of charity can have a profound impact on our world. NOTE: We will have a special collection for the Nicavangelists at the end of the service. We also need some donations of food (or money) to help feed them while they are in town. Presenters: The Nicavangelists Worship Associate: Brian Joyner Joel Baker, accompanist September 9 Days of Awe The Jewish High Holy Days begin on the eve of Sept 9 th. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called The Days of Awe. These are the ten days, when according to Jewish tradition, the Book of Life is opened and God decides what will become of us this next year. The tradition says: On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed. Let us explore this annual spiritual practice where we set aside time for honest inward reflection. Worship Leader: Rev. Barbara Fast Worship Associate: Bryna Blum Jeff Barash, saxophone; Turner Blatchley, bass; Phillip Pollerana, drums; Kurt Jordan, accompanist Children s Religious Education Will Return in the Fall

3 S E P T E M B E R E V E N T C A L E N D A R Sunday, September 2 10a Worship Service Monday, September 3 5:30p Meditation Tuesday, September 4 4p SUBUD Meditation 5:30p Membership Committee Thursday, September 6 5:15p Girls Night Out 5:15 p DOS Choir Bridge Friday, September 7 8a Men s Breakfast Sunday, September 9 10a Worship Service 10a Socks on the 2nd 11:30a Finance Committee 11:30a CRE Committee 11:30a Facilities Committee Monday, September 10 5:30p Meditation Evening Book Club Tuesday, September 11 4p SUBUD Meditation Wednesday, September 12 6:30p Choir Rehearsal Returns Thursday, September 13 5:15p DOS Choir 6:30p Social Justice Committee Bridge Sunday, September 16 10a Worship Service Monday, September 17 5:30p Meditation s2s2s Rehearsal Tuesday, September 18 4p SUBUD Meditation 6:30p Board of Directors Meeting s2s2s Rehearsal Wednesday, September 19 6:30p Choir Rehearsal Thursday, September 20 5:15p DOS Choir 6p Worship Associates Meeting Bridge s2s2s Rehearsal Sunday, September 23 10a Worship Service Monday, September 24 5:30p Meditation s2s2s Rehearsal Tuesday, September 25 4p SUBUD Meditation s2s2s Rehearsal Wednesday, September 26 6:30p Choir Rehearsal Thursday, September 27 5:15p DOS Choir Bridge s2s2s Rehearsal Friday, September 28 1:30p Afternoon Book Club Sunday, September 30 10a Worship Service Annual Directory for We are gathering names to add, delete or change for the Annual Directory, and to update our church records. Check the current directory in the foyer. Forms for changes are available at the Membership table. The deadline is September 30!! If you are away, you may send the information to Marion Ellson at mtellson55@gmail.com.

4 Among Us Out and About We wish Sarah Gonzales and Barbara Storms a very deserved, exciting yet restful cruise to Alaska. Margaret and Roger Beaman attended a family celebration in Spokane, Washington which they immensely enjoined. While in Spokane they visited and went out for a meal with Linda and Doug Brede. They report Linda is recovering from her recent illness!! Linda and Doug Brede s granddaughter will accompany them on a European vacation to visit London, Paris and Barcelona. WOW! How fantastic! Marion Ellson enjoyed a visit from her daughter and son-in-law. Joyce Osterhaus is an experienced train traveler! She went to Las Cruces, New Mexico to visit friends as well as their UU Church. Rob DuWors and Jerry L Hommedieu are traveling to Missouri, Vermont, Maine and Cape Cod visiting family, friends, incredibly beautiful scenery and National Parks. Bring us back some pictures of that beautiful (green) scenery! Enjoy Joni Padduck and Bill Masco s personal greetings and their travels: We have put lots of miles on our SUV as well as a rental car this summer. In May we left the desert and made a meandering trip thru CA, AZ, NM, CO, UT, WY, ID, OR and finally home to WA. In June we went to Alaska for a large Masco family celebration outside Anchorage and spent some time with our dear friend and fellow UUCOD er Lisa Jamieson and her desert pooch, Edward (who some may recall she found on her way to church one Sunday last spring). In July we took 2 weeks for a tour of New England from Rhode Island, MA and then to Maine where we met up with Rev. Suzanne s best friend, Sandy Wright, her husband John, and Suzanne & Nancy s son Stephen and his beloved Odessa. Claire Flannery also joined us from FL and we all had a fabulous week of laughter, great food, relaxing and boating on Lake Kezar in Lovell, ME. Nancy Pless s children & grandchildren also joined the fun! Joni s youngest stepdaughter got married to the love of her life after 10 years together, so it was a fantastic celebration in a beautiful vineyard in central MA. We had a mini- HS reunion with some of my dearest friends from Scituate HS in Scituate, MA and then dined on lobstah (!!) at a favorite restaurant with all my friends and most of their spouses. Our last trip was a week in ID celebrating our oldest grandson s 16 th birthday. We miss our UUCOD friends and extended family and look forward to seeing you all in mid-october. Our summer travels are over till we head back to the desert. Our love to all. Bill & Joni Continued on next page

5 Gratitude continued Carol and Dan Scanny express their gratitude for all of the phone calls, s, text messages, and personal support during the Cranston fire. They were evacuated from their Thomas Mountain Village and are so grateful to the firefighters for saving their cabin and community. Gary Agner, Gary Brosterhous, Emily and Sarah are also grateful for all of their support from UUCOD and the firefighters who saved their Idyllwild home from which they had to evacuate. Condolences We express our condolences to the family of Stephen Thorson who died February 21, 2018 in Palm Springs. He and his wife, Billie Teal-Thorson, were members of UUCOD. This is some of his obituary from a Midland, Texas newspaper: Moving Stephen B. Thorson passed away February 21st in Palm Springs, CA. He had recently turned 82. Steve led an interesting life filled with a love of theater and history and adventure. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico and graduated from Midland High School. He earned a B.A. from North Texas State University. He loved adventure and moved to Hilo, HI in 1960 where he worked for the Boy Scouts of American and the United Way. He went on to earn a Masters at University of North Dakota. Over his lifetime he lived in more than 15 states and raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations, ran several community theatres and held teaching positions at Post College in CT, Garden City CC in KS and University of New Mexico. He is survived by his wife Billie Teal-Thorson, his children Lisa and Lars, and his grandchildren and other relatives. LeGrand Velez has shared that he will be moving to Oregon to be nearer his family and friends. Oh My Gosh, LeGrand, we will miss you so much!! Please stay in touch with us. Accomplishments Congratulations to Margaret Beaman who is now the Coordinator of California State Graduate Nursing Program at the San Bernardino and Palm Desert Campus. Congratulations to Kevin Brandt whose proud husband, Frank Riela, send us this contribution: Kevin was chosen for a special temporary position as a Settlement Strike Force Attorney. His role will last no more than one year and he will handle cases that no one else has been able to bring to closure, and he is tasked with getting them resolved and settled. He will also be taking on some of the most complex State of California workers' compensation cases. These are multi-million dollar cases with multiple parties and often a dozen other attorneys, and have dragged on for years. Finally, on September 27th and 28th, Kevin will be co-presenting to the entire Riverside hub of State Compensation Insurance Fund on Utilization Review and Independent Medical Review issues.

6 GNO will be meeting on Thursday, September 6 1 st Thursday of each month at at The River in Rancho Mirage Arrive around 4:45p so we can be seated and order by 5:00. Please let Judi Mills know by Sept 4 if you are planning to attend. jksmills@windstream.net Country Club Dr, Palm Desert Friday, September 8 am Contact Tim Hill at timothy.hill.713@gmail.com or (760) Start practicing! Choir rehearsals return Wednesday, September 6:30pm Contact musicdirector@uucod.com for more info.

7 Oasis School Food on the First resumes September 2! School's in session! Monthly non-perishable food collection for Oasis School healthy food pantry resumes at UUCOD Sunday Service Labor Day weekend. Oasis School pantry gives to Migrant Education students and their families who work in Coachella Valley agriculture, but whose food budgets are stretched tight after buying school clothing and supplies. Your staples improve nutrition and free up household funds to buy fresh items at the market that the food pantry can't store. Please choose from four categories: 1) bagged rice or dried pinto beans or corn masa flour like Maseca; 2) canned chicken or tuna or jars of peanut butter; 3) canned fruit, tomatoes, tomato sauce or vegetables; 4) bottled cooking oil. Have questions? Contact Sue at In these difficult times we find that our Unitarian Universalist Principles are routinely violated by our racist immigration policies. A half-dozen congregants committed themselves to four months of study and reflection on racism. The program explored our roles as members of white culture, exploded our tendency to come in as the great savior to solve problems, and culminated in ideas and methods to stand with those in oppressed classes. Those who took the classes found their assumptions upended and grew tremendously. By first understanding white culture, we can better seek to reduce racism. This program was offered through the UUA and the Friends (Quakers), and will be repeated. Coming up: White Awake Insight Community of the Desert will be offering in-depth spiritually-based workshops to explore how white culture perpetuates bias, and seek methods to reduce prejudice. Rooted in an historical context, participants will analyze how contemporary institutional and structural oppression redistribute power. We will explore our own personal experience with race and as discomfort arises we will gently seek to understand, leading to transformation and collective liberation. It will consist of seven Saturday mornings (2.5 hours), starting November 17 and finishing in March, and will be open to UUCOD congregants. More information will be coming in September and October. UUCOD is talking! The UUCOD Board recently formed a Communications Committee to strategize new and improved ways to promote internal and external communication. In the months ahead, you will see more and varied posts to our external Facebook page (if you are on Facebook and not yet following the church page, type in the full name, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, into the search bar). We also plan to launch a UUCOD Instagram account and YouTube channel this fall. We welcome your suggestions and involvement in UUCOD s communication efforts. Current committee members are Susan Hannon, Vikki Porter and Diane Carmony.

8 Socks on the 2nd September 9 Please bring new socks to donate, darker colors very welcome. They go to Well in the Desert in Palm Springs to give out to local homeless persons. The socks you give will cushion footsteps during long treks on foot, provide a sense of comfort and dignity, and keep feet warm and dry at night. Join us right after service to do a quick count and get them out to the car. Reminder: we have limited space to store and to transport all these socks, so we ask socks only. If you have any other items to donate, please contact the Well in the Desert or another local charity and transport those items yourself. Thanks! AUCTION 2018 It's not too early to start thinking about possible donations to our annual auction: host a dinner showcasing your 'specialty' wine basket state theme basket (collection of items from your home state) personalized tours (Living Desert, Air Museum, Joshua Tree, etc.) homemade ANYTHING! (breads, cookies, pies, birthday cake, etc.) use of vacation house for week or weekend tickets to local events (McCullum, Rancho Mirage Writer's Festival, Paribas Open Tennis, etc.) earthquake preparation home visit themed dinner at your home (St. Patrick's Day, Italian, Fondue, etc.) dog sitting teach someone what you love (knitting, cooking, cake decorating, pie baking, etc.) The sky is the limit! Donation forms will be available on September 16. FOR SNOWBIRDS: You can make your donations by either phoning Carol Lavoie at or ing at mclavoie@aol.com Bridge!! Every Thursday evening at 7 PM we play bridge in the foyer of our church. This is social bridge. We d love to have you join us. Talk to Kevin Brandt or Marion Ellson for details. Get your name on the list for each game by ing Marion Ellson at mtelllson55@gmail.com.

9 Share-the-Plate September 16 California Institute for Rural Studies Our monthly share-the-plate collections resume Sept. 16. We will pass the bowls during Sunday Service, subtract any pledge payments, assign half of what remains to operation of the church, and on Sept. 16 the remaining collected funds will be given to the California Institute for Rural Studies ( which compiles descriptive data on conditions in rural California. Such data assists those fighting social injustice through formulation of public policy legislation and informs those doing litigation to improve the lives of farm workers and other rural residents. Our guest speaker that day will be local immigration attorney Megan Beaman-Jacinto. Please bring your checkbooks and prepare to give generously. Experience two of Coachella Valley s Outstanding Musicians!! M i c h e l l e F i o r e and K u r t J o r d a n Saturday October 27, :00PM Admission: $25.00 Reservations Are Required - Seating is Limited Michelle and Kurt have performed the past 2 years at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theater for sold out audiences. At Open Call this year, Michelle won Audience Favorite, plus 2 nd in judging. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, Via Vail, Rancho Mirage, CA Sign Up Sheet in Foyer (Payment due by October 14, 2018) Contact Jane Zaun for reservations: jnzaun@yahoo.com SCRABBLE ANYONE? Want to enjoy a friendly game or two of Scrabble with fellow UUCOD members? Tentatively scheduled for Saturdays (maybe biweekly) at 2:00p.m. Add your name to the sign-up sheet in foyer after Sunday services or Carol Lavoie at mclavoie@aol.com.

10 Do you buy groceries or clothes or things for the house? And do you eat out at sit down or fast food restaurants? If you do, you can enjoy your favorite places and raise money for UUCOD by purchasing scrip. You get the full value of your purchase to spend and the church gets a percentage of what you bought. Scrip orders for October are due Sunday the 23rd. You can send your orders or questions to uucodscrip@gmail.com Ask Bryna Blum or Barbara Storms for more information. Second Saturday Stroll In October, we will start a new monthly social activity, the Second Saturday Stroll. Come get outside, socialize with other congregants and explore many of the wonderful trails in the area. Open to congregants and older youth who are able to walk at least a couple of miles. We will select hikes based on participants' preferences. Let us know what you would like by taking our survey at surveymonkey.com/r/xbbb9tk Leave your at the end of the survey to get on the Second Saturday Stroll list. See you in the great outdoors! - Rod Belshee Flower Sign-Up Sheets for September and October are now on the clipboard in the foyer

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12 We have a UUA Fifth Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic meetings, the time we most put this pation, especially in elections for pub- Other than our congregational principle to work is in our civic particilic office and on ballot initiatives. portant general election will take from Governor to Insurance Commis- Instruction will be elected, as will all half the state Senators, and all the Cal- Representatives. On November 6, 2018, a very implace. California statewide officers sioner and Superintendent of Public the members of the state Assembly, ifornia members of the U.S. House of process within our congregations and in society at large. Get involved in the democratic Non-presidential years like 2018 see lower voter participation than presidential years. However, the June 2018 California primary saw an increase to 37% of registered voters (28% of those eligible to register) casting ballots. You can get involved to further increase voter participation in the election in many ways: process and make it 1) Make sure your own registration is up-to-date. Riverside County residents can visit the registrar's website at to check current registration, update information such as new address, change of name or party, or sign up to vote-bywork! mail. Talk with friends, family and neighbors to do the same, espe- cially if they are new to our county. 2) Join a voter registration effort. Both nonpartisan and partisan organizations register voters. Look them up on the internet. The two largest national political parties have local efforts: Democratic Headquarters of the Desert and the Riverside County Republican Party 3) "Commit to vote" with organizations you support. These campaigns then call and text reminders as Election Day approaches to increase turnout. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has signed up over 60,000 people who are committed to vote. To help them reach out to these and more Click on "Volunteer with People Power" Join Us link. Political Action Committees of various organizations are doing likewise. Former President Obama's past campaigns led to Organizing for Action (OFA) which is also doing committo-vote through their website at Look for other campaigns on the web. 4) Contact the campaigns of the candidates of your choice to see how you can help register voters, canvas door-todoor or phone bank to get-out-the-vote. 5) To increase civic involvement in the future, the ACLU has two projects: Increase availability and use of same-day registration in California (now a pilot project in 3 counties) and Voter Re- Enfranchisement Resources for people with a criminal conviction re-entering society 6) CA Gov. Jerry Brown has recently signed legislation so that starting in 2019, counties will have to pay the postage for the mail-in ballots that voters send in. In 2018, postage must still be affixed, unless the ballot is returned to one of the designated official drop-off centers. See your vote-by-mail ballot packet instructions. Be encouraged by former President Obama's remarks to the OFA in July: "As we approach these critical midterm elections, I'm asking you once again to choose hope--to channel that awesome power we have, as citizens, to bring about the change we seek." Gloria Kapp with Sue Caspari, Social Justice Committee

13 What is scrip? It s just another name for gift cards. You get the full value of what you purchase through UUCOD and the church gets a rebate from the company. How do people at UUCOD use scrip? They buy scrip for Grocery cards (e.g. Albertsons, Stater Brothers, Smart & Final, Sprouts, Whole Foods) Restaurants (e.g. Applebees, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster) Fast Food (e.g. Burger King, Chipotle, Del Taco, El Pollo Loco, Honey Baked Ham, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy s) Gasoline (e.g., Arco, Chevron, Exxon/Mobil, Shell) Physical Stores (e.g. Barnes & Nobel, Bed Bath and Beyond, CVS Pharmacy, jcpenny, Lowes, Office Max, Petco, PetSmart, Rite Aid, Staples, TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods, Target, The Home Depot, Walmart/Sams Club) Online Stores (e.g., Amazon, Itunes) Movies (e.g., Cinemark Theatres, Regal/United Artist/Edwards Theatres) Buying one or two cards won t raise much, will it? Every little rebate to UUCOD adds up. Since January 2017 just a few families (35) have raised $ And all they did was shop as they usually do. How do I find out what businesses offer scrip? There is a full list of vendors by category in the church foyer (below the visitor name tags). You can also write to UUCODscrip@gmail.com and one of the scrip volunteers will send you an electronic copy. How do I make an order? To get more information go to the UUCOD website (ABOUT/DONATIONS) and you ll get more explanation and information on how you can place your own order via the Shop with Scrip Website. If you sign up for Presto Pay direct pay from your bank account--(directions on our website) you won t have to worry about writing a check to UUCOD. You can also send an to UUCODscrip@gmail.com Or talk with Bryna Blum about ordering. When would I get my scrip? Right now, UUCOD takes orders up to the last Sunday in the month and scrip is delivered the first Sunday of the month. If we were to get enough people ordering we could increase the number of times we order per month. If you sign up for Presto Pay you can order Scrip Now! Or Reload your card for many (but not all) businesses anytime Why not get a little rebate for UUCOD whenever you shop? Every little donation helps. Note: Ralphs does not have scrip, but you can sign up at Ralphs so that UUCOD will get a rebate every time you shop. Newsletter and Weekly Deadlines: The deadline for publication is always Wednesday morning. If your are going to be late, call or Geoff asking to reserve space. Newsletters need to be on the website by 3 pm, Fridays. Monthly newsletters are published on the Friday that is closest to the first of each month.